astrometry
/əˈstrɒm.ɪ.tri/
Definition
A branch of astronomy that involves measuring the precise positions, distances, and movements of stars and other celestial objects over time.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Greek words 'astron' (star) and 'metron' (measure). It entered scientific English in the 19th century as a more technical term for the classical field of positional astronomy.
In the news
In this article, researchers used astrometry to track the minute movements of a star over two decades, which revealed the gravitational influence of an invisible black hole companion. This precise measurement method allowed scientists to confirm the black hole's presence when other detection techniques had failed.
NASA’s Hubble Discovers First of Star Cluster’s Missing Black Holes
Read the full article ↗NASA Science (.gov)